Monday, March 20, 2017

Texas Stars Need Near Perfect Hockey Now to Make Playoffs

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

The first playoff berth of the 2017 Calder Cup playoffs was clinched on Saturday as San Jose punched its ticket to the postseason. For the Stars, with 13 games left in the season, they are in dire straits at 6th place in the division. The Bakersfield Condors currently hold the final playoff spot, and Texas has a mountain to climb to match their pace of .544. At two games below .500, Texas needs to go 11-2 down the stretch to have a shot at the playoffs.

Without Bakersfield on their schedule for the rest of the season, they'll have to hope that the Condors go cold to get anything done in terms of knocking down the .544 mark. Bako is 7-3 in their last ten while Texas is 4-4-0-2.

This week's game are all must win. Facing Stockton and Tucson, in 5th and 7th places respectively, the Stars cannot afford to give away points, even overtime points, to these teams now. The margins are too thin for that.

If the Stars make it into the playoffs, this week will have to be a turning point for them. Once that happens, they can worry about what will likely be a grueling late March and early April, culminating in a 3-game set with San Antonio to potential decide the playoff fate of the Cedar Park crew.

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